Direct cycle heating, cooling and refrigerating apparatus

ABSTRACT

A positive displacement, or centrifugal, or other means of compressing a working fluid, mounted on a common shaft with a rotary heat exchanger, so arranged that the compressed working fluid is introduced into the heat exchanger, heat extracted, then introduced into a positive displacement or turbine-type, expander, or other expansion means also mounted on the aforementioned common shaft, where expansion of the working fluid and extraction of useful work takes place, thus substantially lowering the temperature of the working fluid which then may be ducted or recirculated to spaces requiring cooling or refrigeration, and including means whereby the heat removed from the working fluid by the rotary heat exchanger may be ducted or recirculated into spaces requiring heating, the whole apparatus being driven by conventional means from an external power source.

14 1 Sept. 30, 1975 DIRECT CYCLE HEATING, COOLING AND REFRIGERATING APPARATUS [75] Inventor: Lynne E. Windsor, Winnipeg,

Canada [73] Assignec: James B. Carter Limited, Winnipeg,

Canada [22] Filed: June 18, I974 [21] Appl. No.: 480,586

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 20, 1973 United Kingdom 29l99/73 [52] US. Cl..

3,793,848 2/1974 Eskeli 62/402 Primary Examiner-William J. Wye Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Stanley G. Ade

[ 5 7 1 ABSTRACT A positive displacement, or centrifugal, or other means of compressing a working fluid, mounted on a common shaft with a rotary heat exchanger, so arranged that the compressed working fluid is introduced into the heat exchanger, heat extracted, then introduced into a positive displacement or turbinetype, expander, or other expansion means also mounted on the aforementioned common shaft, where expansion of the working fluid and extraction of useful work takes place, thus substantially lowering the temperature of the working fluid which then may be ducted or recirculated to spaces requiring cooling or refrigeration. and including means whereby the heat removed from the working fluid by the rotary heat exchanger may be ducted or recirculated into spaces requiring heating, the whole apparatus being driven by conventional means from an external power source.

6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures US. Patent Sept. 30,1975

DIRECT CYCLE HEATING, COOLING AND' REFRIGERATING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to new and useful improvements in apparatus of the class described.

Present means of cooling and refrigeration utilize relatively cumbersome and expensive multi-unit compressors, evaporators and condensers. Furthermore, expensive high pressure working fluids are utilized and severe limitations are present such as excessive noise, vibration and inefflcient heat exchanging.

Recent developments in rotary heat exchangers such as owned by the Donbar Development Corporation would appear to eliminate many faults of conventional heat exchangers particularly having regard to compactness and efficiency.

The present invention utilizes the rotary heat exchanger principle together with utilization of the heating and cooling system using the direct air (or other working fluid) or reverse Brayton cycle.

. Briefly, the invention includes a positive displace- -,ment or centrifugal or other means of compressing a working fluid, mounted on a common shaft with a rotary heat exchanger. The device is arranged so that the compressed working fluid is introduced into the heat exchanger, heat is extracted, and then the fluid is introduced into a positive displacement or turbine-typeexpander or equivalent also mounted on the same shaft where expansion of the working fluid and extraction of useful work takes place thus substantially lowering the temperature of the working fluid. This working fluid may then be ducted or recirculated to the spaces r equiring cooling or refrigeration. I

Furthermore means may be included whereby the heat removed from the working fluid by the rotary heat exchanger can be ducted or recirculated into spaces requiring heating. The apparatus is adapted to be driven by conventional means from an external power source depending upon design parameters.

With the foregoing objects in view, and other such objects and advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, my invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts all as hereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a partially cross sectional sideelevation of .one embodiment of the invention with certain parts shown schematically. FIG. 2 is a cross section along the line 22 of FIG.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION cludes a plurality of longitudinally extending hollow tubes 13 extending between header flanges 14. These tubes are shown as being substantially cylindrical in the present embodiment but it will of course be appreciated that they can be shaped as hollow aerofoil sections which facilitates the flowing of air over these tubes as the squirrel cage type heat exchanger is rotated. Bearin'g'assemblies 15 support the heat exchanger for rotation upon the stationary shaft 11 and may take any desired form depending upon design. These assemblies are secured at the centres of .the header flanges 14.

compressor 16 is secured to the flange 14 by means of bolts 19 or the like, with suitable seals being provided (not illustrated). This housing includes an offcenter circular opening or recess 20 which is connected by suitable integral porting (not illustrated) to the inlet annulus 21 and also by additional suitable portiong (not illustrated) to the ends of the tubes ;13 of the rotary heat exchanger 12. Secured to shaft 11 and contained within the opening or recess 20, is a-circular stator 21 having radial openings .or slots (not illustrated) holding a plurality of sliding vanes 22 which are outwardly biased against the periphery of the recess 20 by springs or other suitable means (not illustrated). This portion is in effect, a conventional vane type pump in which the slotted portion containing the vanes remains stationary and the eccentrically disposed housing rotates around this stationary portion and as the constructional details of such devices are well known, it is not believed necessary to describe same further.

Adjacent to the housing 18 is an inlet conduit 23 which is stationary and is adapted to conduct the working fluid through the intake area with conventional rotary seals 24 and 25 being provided around shaft 11.

The working fluid flowing through the tubes 13 is conveyed to a housing assembly 26 which is substantially a duplicate of the structure 18 here'inbefore described, said housing being situated at the expansion end collectively designated 27 of the device.

However in the expansion end, the internal porting (not illustrated) is arranged so that expansion of the working fluid takes place in the stationary vane expander assembly and this expanded fluid is conducted through suitable annular openings (not illustrated) to the outlet 28 with rotary seals 29 and 30 being provided between-the housing 26 and shaft 11 in order to prevent leakage. The working fluid is then discharged through the stationary outlet conduit 31.

Power to drive the device is provided, in this embodiment, by an annular groove 31 formed around housing 26 and having a drive belt 32 extending around the housing within the groove and extending to a source of power (not illustrated). However, it will be appreciated that the drive can be from any external source such as gear, friction, integral electrical motor or directly connected motors and the like.

In operation, rotation of the device induces working fluid via the inlet conduit 23 into the housing 18 where it is compressed by the stationary vane compressor and discharged under pressure into the hollow tubes 13 where it is cooled due to the rotation of these tubes in air or other cooling medium.

Still under pressure it is introduced into the expander housing 26 where the stationary vane expander reduces the pressure and temperature of the working fluid, extracts useful work and discharges this cooled fluid into the outlet conduit 31.

It will of course be appreciated that it is not the intent of this invention to limit the compression and expansion of the working fluid to positive displacement vane type means. The working fluid may be compressed by replacing the vane assembly and housing with a conventional centrifugal type pump comprising a rotary housing-impeller combination and a stationary flange which may or may not have reaction blading incorporated therein. The turbine expansion portion may consist of a suitable housing and peripheral noizle porting acting on a stationary turbine member secured to the stationary shaft 11.

As a further alternative, a dual screw compressor and expander portion may be utilized using twin screw compressors which are well known in the art under which circumstances one of the screw units may be secured to the shaft 11 and remain stationary. The rotating screw or screws rotate about the stationary screw in a planetary fashion insuitable design housing.

Also this invention may include a multi-cylinder radial compressor and expander in which a series of radially disposed pistonsare mounted eccentrically on the stationary shaft and reciprocate in a housing incorporating a plurality of radial cylinders with inlet and outlet porting arranged to provide compression and expansion as required. The pistons may also be disposed axially around the stationary shaft and may be reciprocated by an inclined swash plate, a system well known in the art.

Finally, it will be appreciated that ducting may be incorporated (not illustrated) around the tubes 13 so that air induced by the rotation may be ducted or recirculated to desired areas for heating purposes.

1 shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A direct cycle heating, cooling and refrigerating unit for fluids driven by an associated source of power andcomprising in combination spaced apart support means, a stationary shaft extending between said support means, a rotary heat exchanger journalled for rotation upon said shaft and operatively connected to said source of power, a fluid pump secured to one end of said rotary heat exchanger and being operatively connected thereto, fluid inlet means operatively connected to said pump, a fluid expander portion operatively secured to the other end of said rotary heat exchanger and a fluid outlet operatively connected to said expander portion, said rotary heat exchanger including a pair of spaced and parallel header flanges, a plurality of hollow fluid conveying elements extending between said header flanges thus constituting a squirrel cage type heat exchanger, said hollow elements being operatively connected by one end thereof to said fluid pump and by the other end thereof to said expander portion.

2. A direct cycle heating, cooling and refrigerating unit for fluids driven by an associated source of power and comprising in combination spaced apart support means, a stationary shaft extending between said support means, a rotary heat exchanger journalled for rotation upon said shaft and operatively connected to said source of power, a fluid pump secured to one end of said rotary heat exchanger and being operatively connected thereto, fluid inlet means operatively connected to said pump, a fluid expander portion operatively secured to the other end of said rotary heat exchanger and a fluid outlet operatively connected to said expander portion, said fluid pump taking the. form of a sliding vane pump including a stator and a rotor, said stator being secured to said shaft and including a plurality of sliding vanes mounted therearound, said rotor constituting the housing of said pump and being eccentrically mounted for rotation around said stator.

3. A direct cycle heating, cooling and refrigerating unit for fluids driven by an associated source of power and comprising in combination spaced apart support means, a stationry shaft extending between said support means, a rotary heat exchanger journalled for rotation upon said shaft and operatively connected to said source of power, a fluid pump secured to one end of said rotary heat exchanger and being operatively connected thereto, fluid inlet means operatively connected to said pump, a fluid expander portion operatively secured to the other end of said rotary heat exchanger and a fluid outlet operatively connected to said expander portion, said expander portion being of a similar construction to said fluid pump, said fluid inlet means and said fluid outlet means being stationary and supported upon said stationry shaft, and rotary seals situated between said inlet and outlet means and said pump and said expander portion respectively.

4. The device according to claim 1 in which said fluid pump takes the'form of a sliding vane pump including a stator and a rotor, said stator being secured to said shaft and including a plurality of sliding vanes mounted therearound, said rotor constituting the housing of said pump and being eccentrically mounted for rotation around said stator.

5. The device according to claim 1 in which said expander portion is of a similar construction to said fluid pump, said fluid inlet means and said fluid outlet means being stationary and supported upon .said stationary shaft, and rotary seals situated between said inlet and outlet means and said pump and said expander portion respectively.

6. The device according to claim 2 in which said expander portion is of a similar construction to said fluid pump, said fluid inlet means and said fluid outlet means being stationary and supported upon said stationary shaft, and rotary seals situated between said inlet and outlet means and said pump and said expander portion respectively. 

1. A direct cycle heating, cooling and refrigerating unit for fluids driven by an associated source of power and comprising in combination spaced apart support means, a stationary shaft extending between said support means, a rotary heat exchanger journalled for rotation upon said shaft and operatively connected to said source of power, a fluid pump secured to one end of said rotary heat exchanger and being operatively connected thereto, fluid inlet means operatively connected to said pump, a fluid expander portion operatively secured to the other end of said rotary heat exchanger and a fluid outlet operatively connected to said expander portion, said rotary heat exchanger including a pair of spaced and parallel header flanges, a plurality of hollow fluid conveying elements extending between said header flanges thus constituting a squirrel cage type heat exchanger, said hollow elements being operatively connected by one end thereof to said fluid pump and by the other end thereof to said expander portion.
 2. A direct cycle heating, cooling and refrigerating unit for fluids driven by an associated source of power and comprising in combination spaced apart support means, a stationary shaft extending between said support means, a rotary heat exchanger journalled for rotation upon said shaft and operatively connected to said source of power, a fluid pump secured to one end of said rotary heat exchanger and being operatively connected thereto, fluid inlet means operatively connected to said pump, a fluid expander portion operatively secured to the other end of said rotary heat exchanger and a fluid outlet operatively connected to said expander portion, said fluid puMp taking the form of a sliding vane pump including a stator and a rotor, said stator being secured to said shaft and including a plurality of sliding vanes mounted therearound, said rotor constituting the housing of said pump and being eccentrically mounted for rotation around said stator.
 3. A direct cycle heating, cooling and refrigerating unit for fluids driven by an associated source of power and comprising in combination spaced apart support means, a stationry shaft extending between said support means, a rotary heat exchanger journalled for rotation upon said shaft and operatively connected to said source of power, a fluid pump secured to one end of said rotary heat exchanger and being operatively connected thereto, fluid inlet means operatively connected to said pump, a fluid expander portion operatively secured to the other end of said rotary heat exchanger and a fluid outlet operatively connected to said expander portion, said expander portion being of a similar construction to said fluid pump, said fluid inlet means and said fluid outlet means being stationary and supported upon said stationry shaft, and rotary seals situated between said inlet and outlet means and said pump and said expander portion respectively.
 4. The device according to claim 1 in which said fluid pump takes the form of a sliding vane pump including a stator and a rotor, said stator being secured to said shaft and including a plurality of sliding vanes mounted therearound, said rotor constituting the housing of said pump and being eccentrically mounted for rotation around said stator.
 5. The device according to claim 1 in which said expander portion is of a similar construction to said fluid pump, said fluid inlet means and said fluid outlet means being stationary and supported upon said stationary shaft, and rotary seals situated between said inlet and outlet means and said pump and said expander portion respectively.
 6. The device according to claim 2 in which said expander portion is of a similar construction to said fluid pump, said fluid inlet means and said fluid outlet means being stationary and supported upon said stationary shaft, and rotary seals situated between said inlet and outlet means and said pump and said expander portion respectively. 